Wheel of Time: The Hunt of Destiny
by Jandhuin
Summary: It is a time of great peace and confusion after the Last Battle. Denizens of the world pick themselves up sighing with relief that the most troubled of days have finally ended with the Dragon Reborn winning his battle against the Dark One. But are the Ages that come to pass ever that easy? Only time will tell.


Loial, Son of Arent, Son of Halan walked through the flowering area once known as the Blight. Deep in these lands men had been driven insane by the horrors they witnessed or they had been destroyed before they could have a chance to lose their mind. A day past and yet many celebrated and many did not. Tarmon Gaiden had certainly shaken the world up to the spine with soldiers from every known land. People expected a new breaking which was more terrible than the one which forced the Third Age to begin. They did not get the breaking they expected. It was a breaking in a way. The Light had won against the Shadow and the Third Age was now at its end. The Seanchan had aided the forces of the Light but not before the Shadow had stretched enough to actually strike terror into countless hearts. The Amyrlin, one of the most powerful in the One Power in centuries and a leader who truly reunited the White Tower was no more. Most of all, the land felt another huge loss. The Dragon Reborn was no more.

Victory was the feeling passed around and sorrow now hastened to follow. Loved ones were lost in the Last Battle. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers had met their end at the hands of Shadowspawn or from Demandred's wrath before Lan Mandragoran took him by the head. Few whispered that the Dragon Reborn had battled against the Dark One in his own territory and bested him. But some believed that the Dragon Reborn had killed off the Dark One himself. How else could the once barren land filled with never ending horrors of time begin to grow? A few wise people who knew the truth of what had happened decided to leave the actual truth to people's interpretation. Loial himself was frustrated at having to search for the information he sought so much. He believed he would be there to spin the grand events into words. He knew he had to finish the manuscript for what he had dedicated his life. He passed tents of leaders looking worn out after the battle still wary of an attack which would not come. Loial did not blame them. The land was not used to a state of peace. It would take perhaps months and years to convince the people that the Dark One could not touch the land again.

Loial thought about how his last meeting with Perrin had gone. He was frantic at the time as soon as he heard Nynaeve announce that Rand had passed away. Loial was sad losing his source for the book but more depressed that he lost a good friend. Perrin had mentioned that he did not feel any more tugging through the Ta'veren link he had with Rand. He was tight lipped about what had really happened near the Bore and promised to talk to Loial when he had got some rest. He was right. Loial was shocked that Perrin had barely recovered from the wounds he had before he went to rescue Faile. Light! Those wounds would have made a man embrace sleep for a few months.

Loial would be patient. A hasty Perrin would not do as he needed every little bit of information he could get. He passed a nearby group of soldiers singing with some men from Mat's Band of the Red Hand. The men seemed quite happy to continue that for now. What was that? Jak 'O the Shadows? Loial sighed and continued on. This must have been another invention of Mat. Loial needed to go to Mat as well. Mat had probably gone to the Field of Merrilor where the Seanchan had camped. They would be preparing to return soon. Loial needed to get to Mat before that happened. He could not afford not meeting him while the Last Battle was fresh in his mind. Mat might know about what had happened to Rand at Shayol Ghul. Mat seemed to know a lot when he shouldn't.

He crossed the final line of soldiers, one of the remnants of the once great army which had fought to buy time for the Dragon Reborn.

_There's the Aes Sedai_, he thought looking at the women standing at different points on the ground marked with numbers.

_Perhaps they will send me to Mat. If they did not try to stare daggers through the Seanchan that is._

Loial was surprised to find that barely a day had passed after the Last Battle and the Aes Sedai had simply returned to plotting their schemes like it was only natural after what had happened. A Seanchan looked at an Aes Sedai as something necessary to be kept in control and the Aes Sedai looked at a Seanchan like a Queen looking at a loyal subject in her kingdom.

Muttering about children he went to the little piece of ground marked as "1" and stood in front of a Red haired Aes Sedai.

"Pardon Aes Sedai, could you please send me to the Field of Merrilor? My work requires my presence there."

The Aes Sedai looked at him suspiciously and replied,"You weren't thinking about joining them were you Ogier?"

"By the light no! What makes you think of that?", Loial said ears drooping a little. He could not join the Treesingers in the Seanchan when he had a wife back at home. The adventures had ended long back. His mother had certainly put an end to those.

"Just a thought", the Aes Sedai looked around in a moment of concentration and a vertical slash expanded into a gateway. Deciding he better hurry before he was stopped, Loial stepped through the gateway without another word and looked for Mat. He did not have to look very far. Mat was frozen in a conversation mid-way with the Seanchan Empress and he looked at Loial with eyes which told him he wanted to be away on the best horse in the land.

"Bloody Ashes! Is this about your book again?" Mat thought out loud as he took off his hat. The Seanchan Empress looked at him with amusement.

"Hello Mat", Loial said smiling in the most pleasant way possible.

This was going to take a long long time.

* * *

Nynaeve Al' Meara watched the peak of Shayol Ghul with a feeling of despair. That peak towered over the land almost reaching the sky, black before and black after. She could still remember the entrance which had led to the Pit of Doom. No one was allowed to go there now. The Dragon's blood clearly indicated the path which he had taken to defeat the Dark One. Rand al' Thor's blood. The blood of one whom she had thought she had a duty to protect when they had left the Two Rivers. Barely a day had passed and she could not shake the feeling of frustration and anger. She could not celebrate as the others could. Egwene was the first shock and Rand finished any ounce of the determination she had once had to protect them as the former Wisdom of Emond's field.

_Fool thought that_, she chided herself internally. _That was a long time ago…._

Still she would not give in to Aes Sedai masks of serenity. She was Nynaeve al' Meara and let the flaming Aes Sedai understand that! Not some Light forsaken woman who would go about as if nothing had happened. She wished against her own will that she could learn some curses from Uno. That would certainly be good right now. Speaking of which, Elayne, the bloody Queen of Andor was calmly speaking to Aviendha the bloody new Wise One and the flaming new Truthspeaker of the Seanchan, Min a few paces away. Nynaeve gave a start and realized that she had thought exactly in the way that she constantly chided Uno for. But Light it was hard! Didn't those women feel anything at all? Nynaeve was unable to track down any little hint from them and all three refused to be together when she spoke about Rand. What did they know which gave them such serenity that even Aes Sedai often looked at them with faces of curiosity? Nynaeve could only think of two things: Rand was alive or they could not even bear to talk about him together without breaking down.

Was the former even possible after what she had witnessed? She had seen him at the end. He had not awakened. She had seen him burn. Burn in the light of that fire while she stood helpless trying to stop herself from crying onto Lan's shoulder. Lan stood behind her now watching with a calm face. She was not fooled. The bond betrayed a hint of worry and sadness but he never spoke about Rand. Something stirred in the back of her mind. Something which the bond seemed to be telling her. Something about Elayne. She could not recognize what it was. This had been pricking her for quite some time now. There was something missing in the puzzle and somehow Nynaeve knew that she should have figured it out. She shook her head and turned back leaving Shayol Ghul in the distance and joined Lan.

"Are you alright Nynaeve?", Lan started, "It has been a while since you have been gazing at that. You have barely eaten anything and it is mid-day".

"I'm alright", Nynaeve said. She started walking slowly and Lan fell in beside her at a steady pace.

"We should have done something for him Lan", she whispered in a sorrowful voice.

"Peace my love," said Lan putting his hand on her shoulder and stopping, "You have done more than what those Aes Sedai have. You were the one he trusted at the cleansing and at the Bore. Nynaeve it is not good for you to keep thinking about him. He would have wanted you to be safe and happy."

"I know", Nynaeve sighed, "I don't know Lan. I'm bothered by something lately. Perhaps it is just a lot of my imagination or it could be related to Elayne, Aviendha and Min. I'm sure they are hiding something."

"Be that as it may," Lan said in a firm voice, "You need to eat now. Those who starve to find something and collapse in front of it are fools before the task was begun. You will find what you seek I believe in it".

"Fine", sniffed Nynaeve,"Lead on".

On the way back to their camp they noticed Cadsuane was back to walking around and ordering everyone as though she owned the army. Nynaeve had heard that she was to be raised to the now empty Amyrlin Seat. She saw her now surrounded by Aes Sedai wherever she went. Soldiers were quick to bow to her lest she be displeased.

_Light protect me_, she thought. She was going nowhere near that woman or the White Tower if she could help herself. As she and Lan walked away leaving Shayol Ghul in the distance, a new party of people came to meet them.

Nynaeve stopped with a hint of surprise. Those were some twenty Asha'man with….Pevara?She was sure she could recognize the Red's face only…..something was different. She strode with an Asha'man who looked old and weary almost like he had been through much worse in the Last Battle. And at the head of them, Logain Ablar himself with Gabrelle standing with him.

Nynaeve quickly composed herself to a calm mask of Aes Sedai serenity. She needed to unlearn that someday. She was never going to be one of them.

"Master Ablar", she said nodding to him. And tried to walk away and then realized that Lan had stopped walking. She turned once again to face Logain.

Logain looked…..in a strange way at Nynaeve and stopped with hands behind his back. With a start Nynaeve realized something. Logain was not looking at her in the way men looked at Aes Sedai. There was no fear. There was no hatred in those eyes either. It was simply a look of respect and curiosity.

"Nynaeve Sedai or shall I call you Nynaeve al' Meara?" Logain started and continued when Nynaeve did not stop him. The leader of the Asha'man showing respect for an Aes Sedai. What had the world come to?

"I heard that Egwene al' Vere was one of your closest friends from your village. The Black Tower stands with you in this time of great loss."

"I never thought I would see a day where I would treat an Aes Sedai with respect and honor her. But you are different. You are not like them and you are one of them. Let it be known…", he raised his voice to a more formal tone. The Asha'man standing behind him and beside him saluted her at once.

"Let it be known that the Black Tower sends its deepest thanks to Nynaeve Sedai."

"What are you on about man? I don't think-" Nynaeve managed to utter before she was interrupted.

"The Black Tower is most indebted to you Nynaeve Sedai. Not just once but twice. Once for the help you gave the Dragon Reborn in cleansing the taint from the source."

He stopped and glanced at Shayol Ghul studying it for a moment and continued.

"Twice for the moment where you threw away any hesitation in helping a Asha'man free his mind from the taint. A great discovery not even the Age of Legends could match. What was even greater in size because of your willingness to do what others would not."

Logain was now smiling as he reached into the back with his left hand and held something before Nynaeve.

It was Vora's sa'angreal. Egwene was the last one to have used it.

"Accept this as a token of our gratitude. We have uncovered this with great care although we could not find your friend. Pevara said it was used by the Amyrlin Seat to defeat Taim."

Pevara smiled warmly at her. A smile with warmth on a Red's face?

_Light, Rand! Did the world go mad when you saved it? _

Stunned with loss of speech marring her ability to speak, Nynaeve went forward and cautiously took it from Logain and joined Lan. The Asha'man were still saluting her. Nynaeve felt like a fool hero and it was probably showing on her face. Mat Cauthon could have stepped in and would never forget it. And would never let her forget it.

"Thank You Master Ablar", she managed to speak finally, "The White Tower thanks you for your sincerity in returning this."

Why had she spoken as a representative of the Tower?!

Logain looked amused.

"The White Tower is not our concern. You will always be a honored guest at the Black Tower, _Aes Sedai,_" He said the last two words like a man announcing something grand," For you have truly proven yourself worthy of that name. The Light willing, there will be more like you."

Logain nodded once to Lan and said "May the Kingdom of Malkier rise above the ashes of what it was" before leaving.

Lan just raised his sheathed sword and nodded.

Gabrelle looked amused for a moment as she walked with Logain and Nynaeve heard Logain say "Light Gabrelle the bond betrays your grudging acceptance."

Nynaeve felt something stir again at the back of her mind. What was with her? What did the bond have anything to do with what she was thinking?

Pevara and her Asha'man came to Nynaeve.

"You have come far Nynaeve al' Meara. Others and even I were mistaken to have treated you as we did."

"Of course Pevara", said Nynaeve, "You were".

Pevara did not show the slightest bit of irritation at what Nynaeve had said and regarded the Asha'man with a look of affection.

_Light! What HAD happened to that woman? Was she under compulsion?_

"I require a favor from you. Can you please heal Androl of his madness? It would mean a lot to him and to me".

A favor requested by a Red and with a "please". Would Nynaeve never understand what was happening?

She went forward and held Androl the Asha'man's head in her hands and closed her eyes. She searched for the Shadow and found it quicker than the last time she had attempted and saw that it was weak. Almost like a dying piece of thread immersed in fire which was clutching at a final string.

Nynaeve healed Androl and drew back feeling a lot exhausted. Her stomach rumbled loudly and Lan sent amusement through the bond.

"Thank You Nynaeve", said Pevara and then looked startled for a moment.

"It's finally gone", Androl said, "Light but it feels so good Pevara".

"You already said that through the bond", said Pevara her face radiating happiness.

Wait he said that through the bond?

"What did you just say Pevara?", Nynaeve asked, "He _told_ you something through the bond?"

Pevara and Androl looked a little troubled.

"It is nothing Nynaeve Sedai", Androl began, "We discovered that forcefully bonding each other at the same time gives you the ability to speak to each other inside the other's mind itself. If that makes sense."

He bowed slightly and muttered thanks. Pevara joined him and they strode away.

Nynaeve was not sure if she would regain her ability to speak before the Fourth Age began and ended. She was not sure if she had dreamed of what had just happened and what Androl had just told her.

And then it hit her. Lan's amusement still flowed through _The Bond_. It hit her like a swarm of biteme's in the Braem Woods from a nest which had been disturbed.

Egwene was said to have gone nearly mad with anger after Gawyn's death before she composed herself and defeated Taim.

Gareth Bryne had gone mad with anger and perished in the Last Battle when Siuan was killed.

Nynaeve had tried to save Alanna near the Bore. The Light itself would have been defeated due to the Bond because Rand would go out of control.

And Rand was not bonded only to Alanna.

She felt tears of relief sliding down on her face and she couldn't stop them. She cared not and let out a hoarse laugh.

"Nynaeve?" Lan asked sounding concerned, "What is wrong?"

Nynaeve said nothing. She had finally figured it out. She was not sure whether she was angry with the three women or if she was blessing them for keeping that quiet.

Somewhere, somehow a lad from the Two Rivers had faced the Dark One himself and lived. Smiling and almost laughing at the confusion from Lan through the bond, she began to wipe hear tears and retraced her steps back toward the three women with Vora's sa'angreal held like a sword in front of her.

Her meal could wait for a little more time. Rand al' Thor lived.


End file.
